Gata Kamsky of the USA showed he has fully rejoined the world elite by winning the FIDE World Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk, in siberian Russia. Kamsky was a world championship contender as a teenager in the early 1990s, but then gave up professional chess to study law. Since starting a comeback in 2004, the 33 year-old has gradually regained his former strength. Starting in the 128-player knockout, he won through six rounds to meet Alexei Shirov (Spain) in the four-game final, winning the mini-match 2½ - 1½.
By this victory, Kamsky has earned a match against Bulgaria's Veselin Topalov to decide who will be the next to challenge the winner of the Anand – Kramnik world championship match later in the year.
Today's game is the only decisive game of the World Cup final – the second. Kamsky as White displays a cool head to fend off Shirov's dangerous attack.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 ---
Avoiding the sharp Sveshnikov Sicilian, which Shirov used to good effect in the previous round. Kamsky's openings have not yet recovered from his long lay-off. 3. --- e5 4. Bc4 Be7 5. d3 d6 6. Nd2 Bg5
White is playing for Nd2-f1-e3 to control the weakened d5 square, while Black wishes to exchange his 'bad' dark-square bishop. White now embarks on a rare queen sortie – with the idea of forcing either ...Nh6 or ...g6 rather than hoping for mate! 7. Qh5 Nh6 8. h3 Nd4 9. O-O!? O-O
Choosing not to test White's pawn sacrifice: 9 ... Nxc2 10 Nf3 Bxc1 11 Raxc1 Nd4 12 Nxd4 exd4 13 Nd5 with positional compensation thanks to the poor knight on h6 and an attack based on f2-f4. 10. Nb3 Bxc1 11. Raxc1 Ne6 12. Ne2 Qf6 13. Nd2 Kh8 14. c3 g5!?
A much more radical solution to the problem of the knight on h6 than 14 ... Ng8. Black launches an attack down the g-file, which White meets with a central counter. 15. d4 Rg8 16. dxe5 dxe5 17. Nf3 Rg6
Threatening 18 ... Ng7 trapping the queen. 18. h4 Qg7 19. Bxe6 Bxe6 20. hxg5 f6!
Exploiting the fact that 21 gxh6? Rxh6 again wins the queen. 21. gxf6 Rxg2+ 22. Kh1 Qxf6?!
Better was 22 ... Qg4! 23 Qxg4 (23.Qxh6? Qxf3 wins) 23...Rxg4 24 Ng3 (24.Nxe5? Re4) 24...Nf7 25.Kg2 Rg6 and Black is fine. Note that now 23 Kxg2? loses to 23 ... Bg4 etc. 23. Qxe5 Qxe5 24. Nxe5 Rg5 25. f4 Rh5+ 26. Kg1 Rg8+ 27. Kf2 Rh2+ 28. Ke3 Rgg2
With both rooks on the seventh rank Black appears to have a strong attack, but in fact it is the white passed pawns that are more dangerous. Here 28 ... Ng4+ exchanging knights was a better defence. 29. Ng1 Rxb2 30. f5! Bxa2 31. Rcd1 Rbc2?
The only chance lay in 31 ... Nf7 or 31 ... Rhg2. With the Black king stripped of defenders, White now closes in for the kill – the queenside pawns are irrelevant. 32. Rd8+ Ng8 33. Ngf3 Rxc3+ 34. Kf4 Rh6 35. Rg1 Rf6 36. Ng5! h6 37. Ngf7+! Resigns
The end would be: 37 ... Bxf7 38 Nxf7+ Rxf7 39 Rgxg8+ Kh7 40 Rh8+ Kg7 41 Rdg8+ Kf6 42 e5+ Ke7 43 Re8+ Kd7 44 e6+ etc.
1-0
Solution: 1 Rxf7! Rxf7 2 Rc2! and mate by Rc2-c8-f8 cannot be prevented.
World Cup in Siberia
Problem: White to play and mate.
Gata Kamsky of the USA showed he has fully rejoined the world elite by winning the FIDE World Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk, in siberian Russia. Kamsky was a world championship contender as a teenager in the early 1990s, but then gave up professional chess to study law. Since starting a comeback in 2004, the 33 year-old has gradually regained his former strength. Starting in the 128-player knockout, he won through six rounds to meet Alexei Shirov (Spain) in the four-game final, winning the mini-match 2½ - 1½.
By this victory, Kamsky has earned a match against Bulgaria's Veselin Topalov to decide who will be the next to challenge the winner of the Anand – Kramnik world championship match later in the year.
Today's game is the only decisive game of the World Cup final – the second. Kamsky as White displays a cool head to fend off Shirov's dangerous attack.
1. e4 c5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Nc3 ---
Avoiding the sharp Sveshnikov Sicilian, which Shirov used to good effect in the previous round. Kamsky's openings have not yet recovered from his long lay-off.
3. --- e5
4. Bc4 Be7
5. d3 d6
6. Nd2 Bg5
White is playing for Nd2-f1-e3 to control the weakened d5 square, while Black wishes to exchange his 'bad' dark-square bishop. White now embarks on a rare queen sortie – with the idea of forcing either ...Nh6 or ...g6 rather than hoping for mate!
7. Qh5 Nh6
8. h3 Nd4
9. O-O!? O-O
Choosing not to test White's pawn sacrifice: 9 ... Nxc2 10 Nf3 Bxc1 11 Raxc1 Nd4 12 Nxd4 exd4 13 Nd5 with positional compensation thanks to the poor knight on h6 and an attack based on f2-f4.
10. Nb3 Bxc1
11. Raxc1 Ne6
12. Ne2 Qf6
13. Nd2 Kh8
14. c3 g5!?
A much more radical solution to the problem of the knight on h6 than 14 ... Ng8. Black launches an attack down the g-file, which White meets with a central counter.
15. d4 Rg8
16. dxe5 dxe5
17. Nf3 Rg6
Threatening 18 ... Ng7 trapping the queen.
18. h4 Qg7
19. Bxe6 Bxe6
20. hxg5 f6!
Exploiting the fact that 21 gxh6? Rxh6 again wins the queen.
21. gxf6 Rxg2+
22. Kh1 Qxf6?!
Better was 22 ... Qg4! 23 Qxg4 (23.Qxh6? Qxf3 wins) 23...Rxg4 24 Ng3 (24.Nxe5? Re4) 24...Nf7 25.Kg2 Rg6 and Black is fine. Note that now 23 Kxg2? loses to 23 ... Bg4 etc.
23. Qxe5 Qxe5
24. Nxe5 Rg5
25. f4 Rh5+
26. Kg1 Rg8+
27. Kf2 Rh2+
28. Ke3 Rgg2
With both rooks on the seventh rank Black appears to have a strong attack, but in fact it is the white passed pawns that are more dangerous. Here 28 ... Ng4+ exchanging knights was a better defence.
29. Ng1 Rxb2
30. f5! Bxa2
31. Rcd1 Rbc2?
The only chance lay in 31 ... Nf7 or 31 ... Rhg2. With the Black king stripped of defenders, White now closes in for the kill – the queenside pawns are irrelevant.
32. Rd8+ Ng8
33. Ngf3 Rxc3+
34. Kf4 Rh6
35. Rg1 Rf6
36. Ng5! h6
37. Ngf7+! Resigns
The end would be: 37 ... Bxf7 38 Nxf7+ Rxf7 39 Rgxg8+ Kh7 40 Rh8+ Kg7 41 Rdg8+ Kf6 42 e5+ Ke7 43 Re8+ Kd7 44 e6+ etc.
1-0
Solution: 1 Rxf7! Rxf7 2 Rc2! and mate by Rc2-c8-f8 cannot be prevented.